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Ice hockey is a sport played on ice - and that's what makes it seriously fast, furious and exciting. It's a simple game to understand and get into - 2 teams use sticks to shoot a rubber puck into the opponents net and score points. Teams consist of up to four lines of three forwards, pairs of defense men and two goal tenders. Five members of every team skate on the ice seeking to take the rubber puck from the opponent and then score a goal. The role of the goal tender is to stop the rubber puck from getting into the net. And that's all you need to know to really start enjoying the sport.

If you want to know the more intricate rules you can look them up - the features of the game are the same around the world, but the rules largely depend on the code of play that is being used. The most important codes for the game are from the International Ice-Hockey Federation (IIHF) and the North American National-Hockey League (NHL).

What makes this game stand out?

Ice hockey is mainly played in Canada and United States whereas Field Hockey is more common in warmer climates. Much as the main aim of every game is to score goals in the opponents net, there are some differences in the manner in which they are played, number of players and gear used. Here are some of the main characteristics of ice hockey:-

Ice hockey can have up to twenty players whereby six are on ice at any one time

The size of the playing area has to be defined before the commencement of a game

Ice hockey players use a three inch rubber disc that is frozen before the game so as to avoid friction and bouncing

While field hockey sticks are shaped like the letter j, ice hockey uses long sticks that are shaped like letter L and are made of wood.

The thrill of watching ice hockey is one anybody can enjoy. But if you want to get involved as a player, you need to brace yourself for a worthwhile investment in the right equipment. This is not a game you can play without protection.

Being an avid player of the lottery there are a number of things that I have come to note about most lotteries which can be quite a turn off. Some have very stringent laws, even for the winners. My personal favorite though is the EuroMillions even though I'm yet to win anything big from them (it's just a matter of time folks!) - there are a number of things that make me wake up in the morning and look forward to trying my luck with them again.

Public or anonymous claiming

So, when I strike it big and finally I'm a multi-millionaire, EuroMillions actually gives me a chance to decide if I would like to come out and pick my prize money in the presence of the media, or remain totally anonymous. Even though they would highly advise you to go for publicity so that they are able to build their name and credibility, they do not shove it down your throat the decision is still yours. After all, not everyone wants to become a celebrity and announce their good luck - do you rally want to have some burglars knocking down your doors thinking you brought the money home..?

You can play it online

Nice and easy. Don't underestimate this - a lot of games you can't play online at all! It's also great for those people who forget to check their tickets, or have a habit of losing them! One neat way to play online is to use a syndicate - check out lotterysyndicatereviews.co.uk for a whole list of lottery syndicates you can use. And if you specifically want EuroMillions check out the reviews here. These guys provide some pretty detailed info, and you can also find them on Twitter.

You get a special adviser

Getting all that money can leave you in a daze. This is more so for people who have not had contact with such money before. To make sure that you don't start off on the wrong footing, they offer you an adviser who not only helps you in the process of getting your winnings but you can stay in contact with them afterwards too. This not only helps you from squandering your money, but also ensures that you have someone independent with your best interests at heart to help guide you.

Always reliable

Oh, and not to mention that I am yet to hear of a scandal or failed pay out with this lottery, which is why I am fully confident that my time is coming and my efforts will pay off. Next time you hear of an anonymous jackpot winner - that's me

Of course the Irish Lotto is popular in Ireland ('yeah, thanks for that gem of advice) - but you can also play it from elsewhere too. And it is a good game to try - the jackpot is decent but the odds are way better than most games.

Two draws per week take place on every Wednesday and Saturday. The jackpot, which is always worth at least €2,000,000, is rolled over to the next draw if it is not won on the current week’s draw. This feature has made the previous jackpots rise in value to over €5 million. Not too shoddy.

Playing the Irish Lotto Game

Regardless of your geographical location, you can play the Irish Lotto as long as you are of legal age. You have to select six numbers from a range of one to forty-five. The jackpot is for matching all 6. The odds however for a single entry are 1 in 8,145,060 - significantly better than even a typical 6 from 49 game (and hundreds of times better than most powerball games). This makes the Irish lottery one of the easiest big games to win in the world as far as winning the jackpot is concerned; although, a substantial amount of good luck is still an obvious requirement for success of course.

Luckily, for players who are only able to match a few of their numbers but not enough to pocket the jackpot, the Irish lottery has enough consolation prizes for them. Each draw selects six major numbers and a seventh number considered to the Bonus number. This bonus number is irrelevant for the jackpot, it's there to boost up some of the consolation prizes.

The draw takes place at 8pm so ticket close at the latest 15 minutes before this time.

Here's a schedule of prize levels and the amount paid for each:-

Prize Level

Numbers Matched

Winnings

Division 1

6 Main Numbers

€2,000,000 plus

Division 2

5 Main Numbers + Bonus

€25,000

Division 3

5 Main Numbers

8.17% of prize pool divided amongst winners

Division 4

4 Main Numbers + Bonus

2.54% of prize pool divided amongst winners

Division 5

4 Main Numbers

14.29% of prize pool divided amongst winners

Division 6

3 Main Numbers + Bonus

8.62% of prize pool divided amongst winners

Division 7

3 Main Numbers

€5

The Irish Lottery (official site here) is a great choice if you're not sure what game to go with, and is one I particularly like simply because the odds are so much better for what is still a really good prize.